Hot Chocolate Puff Food

CLASSIC HOT CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Combine the milk, heavy cream, sugar, cocoa powder and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until the sugar and cocoa powder dissolve and the milk is steaming; do not boil.
• Whisk in half of the chopped chocolate until melted, then whisk in the remaining chocolate until smooth. Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla. Pour into mugs and top with marshmallows or whipped cream.

THE BEST HOT CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Place milk and half-and-half in a saucepan and heat to a simmer over medium heat.
• Meanwhile, stir together the cocoa powder, sugar, and cinnamon. A few teaspoons at a time, stir the hot milk into the cocoa mixture to make a smooth paste. Scrape the cocoa mixture into the saucepan with the milk and simmer 2 minutes; do not let it boil. Stir in the vanilla and keep warm in a thermos.
• Pour into small serving cups and place 4 mini-marshmallows on each serving or spritz them with whipped cream. Serve immediately.
• Make the marshmallows: Combine the water, the corn syrup, and the sugar in a saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer. Bring to a boil and boil to "soft-ball" stage, or about 235 degrees F.
• Meanwhile, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Sprinkle the gelatin over the 2 tablespoons water and let sponge.
• When the syrup reaches 235 degrees F, remove it from the heat, add the gelatin, and mix. Pour the syrup into the whipped egg whites. Add the vanilla and continue whipping until stiff.
• Cover a sheet pan with parchment paper then sprinkle it with powdered sugar. Pour the marshmallow onto the pan and spread it out. Let cool about 2 hours then with a pair of scissors dipped in cornstarch, cut out football shapes.

STUFFED CHOCOLATE PUFFS

Steps:

• For the mousse: Chill a bowl and the beater of an electric mixer in the freezer for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, in a double broiler, melt the semisweet and bitter chocolate over simmering water until hot. Stir in the cinnamon. Remove the double boiler insert, holding the melted chocolate, from the saucepan. Let cool 5 to 10 minutes.
• In the frozen mixing bowl, whip the cream to firm peaks. (Do not overbeat.)
• With a rubber spatula, fold 1/4 of the whipped cream into the chocolate. Gently fold the remaining whipped cream into the chocolate, 1/4 at a time. (Mix just enough to get the chocolate incorporated into the whipped cream.) Set aside in the refrigerator.
• For the cream puffs: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a medium size heavy saucepan, combine the milk, butter and salt. Bring to a boil. Add the flour all at once. Mix quickly with a wooden spoon until a ball forms on the spoon and the flour is evenly moistened. Transfer to a bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Place the cream puff dough in a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip. Pipe out 6 round puffs on a parchment lined baking sheet. With a finger dipped in cold water, flatten the point on top of each puff. Drop the pan on the counter to set the puffs. Bake the puffs until puffed and golden, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375 degrees and bake 20 to 25 minutes longer, or until puffed, golden, and done. Set aside to cool on a rack.
• For the assembly: Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip with the Chocolate Mousse. Split the puffs in half lengthwise and fill them with the mousse. Using the tips of your fingers, drizzle melted chocolate (about 3 ounces melted over hot water) across the tops of the filled cream puffs.

HOMEMADE HOT CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Heat the milk, cocoa, sugar and chocolate in a small pan over a medium heat until steaming and the chocolate has melted. Whisk to dissolve the cocoa.
• Pour into a mug, then add the cream to float on top. Grate over a little more chocolate to serve.

CHOCOLATE CREAM PUFFS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet lightly with some shortening. Put beaters into the freezer to chill.
• Combine water and shortening in a saucepan and bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Add flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt all at once and reduce heat to low. Stir mixture vigorously until it leaves the sides of the pan and forms a ball, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes.
• Beat in eggs, one at a time, with chilled beaters, beating vigorously after each addition until batter is smooth and glossy. Drop dough into 6 mounds on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until puffed and dry, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and pierce the side of each puff with a knife to allow steam to escape. Transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely, abut 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine sugar, cocoa powder and whipping cream in a bowl for the filling. Beat with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate until needed.
• Cut cooled puffs in half horizontally. Fill with cocoa whipped cream.
• For the glaze, pour whipping cream into a small pot and heat until hot. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips until melted. Allow to cool slightly. Drizzle chocolate glaze over the cream puffs and refrigerate until serving.